Category Archives: Primetime
Sullivan & Son: The 50th Anniversary
Thursday’s episode of Sullivan & Son was enjoyable at times, but very little actually happened. Since the bar seems to be the only major setting, there is hardly any action. Instead, the characters are free to have very stressful conversations. While this leaves possibilities for the characters to have revelations, there is very little effort to move the story forward. Episodes that are full of dialogue can be funny at times, but they can also get boring. Despite the potential for Sullivan & Son to be humorous as well as deeply thematic, exclusively relying on slow moving episodes that are full of stress can be a bad idea.
It is the 50th anniversary of Sullivan & Son and things are getting complicated for Steve and his childhood friend Melanie, known as Mel. It is revealed that Mel’s grandfather originally owned the bar and lost it in a poker game against Steve’s grandfather, Jack. Despite this having nothing to do with Steve, Mel holds a grudge for some reason. Of course this is illogical and Steve had nothing to do with the loss of the bar. Mel acknowledges this and is still mad at Steve. Mel’s acknowledgement of her own hypocrisy is supposed to be funny but it is actually very annoying, There is absolutely no reason for this to be a story. In fact, neither of them were aware of it until Jack brought it to their attention. The fact that it was a plot line shows the drawbacks of relying on one location for an entire episode.
Weekly TV Update: July 30
Each week we bring you stories from around the Internet that you might have missed.
Charlie Sheen thinks the world needs more than 90 episodes of Anger Management.
In other Anger Management news, Martin Sheen will play Charlie’s father on the show.
The Modern Family cast wants big salary increases.
The Killing has been killed. AMC cancels the drama after 2 seasons.
Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog will air on the CW in October.
ABC Announces New Fall Schedule
ABC is the last of the Big 4 to reveal its Fall 2012 schedule. It also has spread its series premieres over the largest time span. Premieres will begin on September 14 and end on November 2.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, this is the full ABC Fall Schedule with new shows in ALL CAPS.
Friday, September 14
8:00-9:00 p.m. Shark Tank
9:00-10:00 p.m. What Would You Do?
10:00-11:00 p.m. 20/20
AGT Results Recap: July 25th
Cher Lloyd
Despite the limited success in showcasing true talent on AGT this season, Tuesday night was obviously the best performance night in the quarterfinal rounds. It’s a great thing that America got to see some talent, but it’s a problem when it happens so rarely on a show called America’s Got Talent.
The first result was between Ulysses, Olate Dogs, and David “The Bullet” Smith. While Smith and Olate Dogs have genuine skill, Ulysses is nothing special because most people who have heard television theme songs are able to badly mimic them. His act has never been worthy of a live performance. As for Smith, a human cannonball act may be scary and dangerous, but it is not suitable for Vegas. Out of the three acts, Olate Dogs advanced to the semifinals, which they deserved. These dogs are truly unique and their trainers work extremely hard to get them to a level far above other animal acts.
Top 5 Jimmy Fallon Song Parodies
Since Jimmy Fallon’s Primetime Music Special aired last night, here is a list of Jimmy Fallon’s best song parodies.
5. It’s Not My Baby
Unlike the original version of Justin Beiber’s “Baby,” which is unlistenable to anyone over 14, this is clever. Since we know Justin Beiber wasn’t someone’s baby daddy, Jimmy’s version is no longer relevant, but that doesn’t make it less funny.
AGT’s Last Quarterfinal Performances
William Close and the Earth Harp
The 36 acts that have performed during the live shows on America’s Got Talent have been disappointing to say the least. A lot of terrible acts have been through to the Top 48 and even some of the acts that have made it through to the semifinals did not deserve it. I have said from the very beginning that the judges did not find 48 talented acts. They followed protocol anyway. That is, until last night. Tuesday’s show proved two things: some people in America have talent and also that putting them against other people who do not is a bad idea.
David “The Bullet” Smith
There’s no question that David “The Bullet” has a unique ability. However, watching him fly through the air out of a cannon ball can only be done so many times. He got shot out of a cannon ball and landed on a net, just like he did in his audition. There’s no way this could sustain itself as a Vegas show. It’s just one of the acts that could be seen at the circus. Risking one’s life for the public’s amusement has been part of American culture for a long time, but it can get boring.
Cool TV Video of the Day: Stephen Fry Talks about Hugh Laurie’s Accent
Everyone knows Hugh Laurie as House, but many people forget that he is British because his American accent is so accurate. In today’s video, Stephen Fry talks about his visit to the House set and how strange it is for his old friend to keep House’s accent while talking to British people.
Weekly TV Update: July 23
Each week we bring you stories from around the Internet that you might have missed.
WWE Raw reaches its 1,000th episode. It will feature a look back the shows 19 years on air.
Aaron Sorkin lets go of more than half of The Newsroom’s writing staff.
The Olympics opening ceremony is Friday. Find your local Olympics schedule at NBC Olympics.
Mindy Kaling is returning to The Office for at least one more episode.
If you missed the Teen Choice Awards, Jen Chaney of The Washington Post has a summary of what happened.
Wait! What's A Dial? 